BY PAT BROWN
PUBLISHER
The good news to come from the city of Magee is there are no expected layoffs or furloughs for city employees.
Mayor Dale Berry said the board had done well by requiring limb cutters to register with city before strom debris is cleaned up.
The issue is the contractor is responsible for disposal of materials once it is cut up and that had not been the practice prior to this board acting. Previously, the debris was then left for the city to handle.
As of Thursday the city plans on opening parks but there is an advisory that the public practice social distancing of minimum of six feet and no more than 20 people can congregate which was a total of ten before the new process adopted by the state.
The mayor mentioned he had several positive comments about grass being cut on Highway 49. This has been turned over to a private contractor because the city had not maintained the grass regularly since this administration has come into office. McNair Springs is being privatized also for cutting grass.
The city is adopting new curfew times based on state orders changing Thursday. The new times will be between the hours of 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. The state also approved the opening of restaurants at 50 percent capacity. This will allow local restaurants to open starting on Thursday.
There was extensive discussion about the adoption of a noise ordinance to curtail recent noise complaints. Berry started the discussion telling about him having to pay tickets for not following the law about disturbing the peace with loud exhaust when he was a child. He said he was embarrassed by the police by stopping him on Main Avenue for all to see and making him stand there while all his friends passed by. When his court date came around he was pulled off the football field in uniform and had to appear before the judge and was ordered to pay the fine which he did.
Berry offered a quote of the day-”Remember where your bread is buttered.” Referencing he owed his election to the voters of Magee and they were the ones having issue with all the loud noise because it could be heard all over town.
He said that the police department has been issuing tickets for disturbing the peace and that has had some impact and has lessoned the loud pipe problem, loud music has also been an issue. The ticket for this is $218. Board attorney suggested just leaving the disturbing the peace as the way to enforce the problem. He said individuals can file complaints if law enforcement is unavailable. Another part of the problem according to the aldermen is the violators are not residents of Magee and with the loud noise comes speeding.
Alderman Lane Steele told the board he would like to see a continued presence of officers patrolling neighborhoods. Police Chief Randy Crawford told the board this has helped cut down on burglaries in the neighborhoods. Steele also suggested using undercover vehicles to help apprehend some of the speed and noise violators.
Crawford mentioned there is a problem with the justice system once they are locked up they are being released in county courts. He said that was the case where someone was stabbed someone else with an ice pick. And another where a vehicle was stolen and someone was shot. He said they are arresting them and they are being released by the county.
The board approved amending the budget to pay for additional fuel that had been sold at the airport.
The board approved spending $1,500 for removal of asbestos from a house they are going to demolish on old Highway 149.
The board discussed wrecker rotation. Berry said his brother did not haul for the city so it was not an issue to them but said there in some cases are large disparities in what is charged. They are adopting a policy that is consistant in fees and if they operators don’t comply they will not tow vehicles in the city. He said it would be up to the police chief as to who is on the rotation.
The mayor asked to remind residents that garbage should be keep in a can in bags because of the cutback in services has garbage being scattered by dogs. This is part of the city ordinance.
